When we think of 3D printing, we often imagine things like prototypes made of plastic or metal. But what happens when we print biological materials instead - building blocks of the body? In our series of articles about visionary start-ups that are enriching the life science sector with innovative ideas, today we are introducing Black Drop. The German company, based in Darmstadt with an additional site in Porto, specializes in the development of 3D bioprinting technologies that have the potential to transform medical research and patient care.
Why 3D bioprinting?
Today, drugs are usually tested on simple cell layers or on animals - this only provides realistic results to a limited extent and is ethically controversial. Bioprinting, on the other hand, makes it possible to create complex tissue structures such as skin, liver or even tumor tissue in the laboratory - completely without animal testing. These artificially printed tissues not only help to test drugs more realistically, but also enable personalized therapeutic approaches - for example for cancer patients or for transplant research.
In this article, we introduce you to the company and, in an interview with Roger Henriques, Co-Founder and Head of Business Development, shed light on how the company is set up, what stage of development it is currently in and at which event this year you can experience the technology live.
About the company Black Drop Biodrucker GmbH
Black Drop is a biotech company founded in Aachen, Germany, that specializes in the development and production of 3D bioprinting technologies. The interdisciplinary team develops modular bioprinters, innovative bioinks and practice-oriented accessories such as microfluidic chips and application systems. With its solutions, Black Drop enables the production of realistic, animal-free tissue models for preclinical research, drug development and personalized medicine. The close exchange with scientific partners - such as the TU Darmstadt and the NMI Reutlingen - as well as the collaboration in European research projects is particularly noteworthy. Black Drop stands for application-oriented biotechnology that is ethical, efficient and scientifically sound and paves the way for a new life science era.
What connects our supplier ibidi with Black Drop?
With the growing demand for animal-free, high-precision in vitro models, organ-on-a-chip (OOC) systems are gaining increasing importance in pharmaceutical research and personalized medicine. A key role in the industrial implementation of such systems is played by the close integration of 3D bioprinting technology with microfluidic carrier platforms – this is precisely where the technologies of Black Drop Bioprinting and ibidi converge.
Due to the labor-intensive biofabrication of organ-on-a-chip systems, their industrial use is still limited. To overcome these hurdles, the research group is combining 3D bioprinting technology with laboratory robotics to enable a fully automated manufacturing process for OOCs and thus increase their industrial applicability.
A decisive role in this process is played by the microfluidic slides from ibidi, in particular the µ-Slide I Luer 3D. These slides serve as printing platforms and at the same time as cultivation chambers for the bio-printed cell structures. They are equipped with standardized Luer adapters, enabling easy connection to perfusion-capable systems - an essential prerequisite for simulating physiological conditions such as blood flow, shear forces or nutrient supply.
When Black Drop printed vascularized tissue structures - be it HUVEC endothelium in fibrin, HepG2 tumor models or neuronal structures - are used to create ibidi µ-Slides such as the µ-Slide I Luer 3D serve as the first printable, sealable and perfusable platform for their organ-on-chip solutions - especially within fully automated production processes.
Interview with Roger Henriques (CEO & Business Development)
Mr. Henriques, when and by whom was Black Drop founded?
Black Drop was founded in 2017 by an interdisciplinary team of biotechnologists and engineers with the vision of advancing the 3D bioprinting sector for medical and pharmaceutical applications. The initiative was significantly driven by my business partner, Professor Andreas Blaeser, a specialist in bioprinting technologies, along with colleagues from the academic community in Aachen.
What was the motivation for founding the company?
Research on tissue and organ models holds great potential, but is often hampered by outdated cell culture systems and ethical concerns such as animal testing. Black Drop 's goal is to develop a technology that enables realistic, reproducible, and patient-specific models—thus bridging the gap between research, industry, and clinical application.
What exactly does Black Drop offer today?
Our portfolio includes modular 3D bioprinters, accessories such as drop systems (DropGun), specially developed bioinks such as CureDrop - animal-free collagen and microfluidic chips such as BioVOC, as well as accompanying services and training.
What significance does your technology have for science?
Our technology offers a more realistic alternative to conventional cell culture systems and enables the development of complex, physiologically relevant tissue structures. This is crucial not only for drug development, but also for toxicology studies, tissue engineering and personalized medicine.
What stage of development are your products currently in?
Our bioprinters and bioinks are ready for series production and are already being used by research institutes and industrial partners. At the same time, we are working with research institutions on the next generation, such as vascularized tissue models and automated, sensor-controlled printing processes.
What components do your bioinks consist of?
Our bioinks include different formulations for different research requirements: Blue Drop (polysaccharide-based agarose or alginate) provides strong mechanical stability; Green Drop contains proteins such as collagen and fibrin for enhanced biofunctionality; CureDrop is recombinant, biologically functional and cruelty-free collagen.
What has been your biggest milestone with Black Drop so far?
An important milestone was the establishment of an animal-free toolkit for the biofabrication of vascularized tissue models. The kit consists of our latest bioink, CureDrop, 100% cruelty-free from recombinant collagen and a special microfluidic chip, the BioVOC. In combination with our 3D bioprinter REGENATE, the kit revolutionizes the production of organs on a chip.
What makes your products so special?
Our systems are modular, application-oriented and combinable. We take a holistic approach to bioprinting - from cell handling and bioink to the finished model. The modular structure also enables a high degree of individualization for specific research questions.
Are there any special features that customers should be aware of when using it?
Our system is intuitive and modular, allowing the user to adjust key parameters such as pressure and temperature as required. It is also compatible with other high-precision bioprinters on the market. This flexibility, combined with our animal-free materials, enables faster, more ethical and reproducible research.
What plans do you have for the near future - what can we look forward to?
We are currently working on the integration of real-time sensors for quality control during the printing process and on the scalable production of complex tissue models. We are also planning to integrate our technologies more strongly into clinical translational projects - particularly in tumor modeling and regenerative medicine.
Conclusion
Black Drop represents the next generation of 3D bioprinting – precise, modular, and application-oriented. With this innovative printing system, Black Drop opens up new possibilities in biotechnological research and cell-based applications. As a specialized retailer, we are pleased to support this progressive approach and offer our platform to visionary companies like Black Drop. to open.
Are you interested in Black Drop technology?
Contact the Black Drop team directly.
Are you interested in our ibidi products?
Contact us using the contact form below or get an overview in our webshop.
Visit us together with Black Drop at ILMAC 2025!
Experience 3D bioprinting live, exchange ideas directly with us and discover new impulses for your work in the life science sector. A bio-3D printer will be on display at the VITARIS stand and can be viewed directly. Get your free ILMAC ticket now HERE.
We look forward to your interest!
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